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Cetagandan Empire
Cetaganda is the collective name of an eight planet empire in the Wormhole Nexus. Of the eight planets, five are Eta Ceta, Mu Ceta, Rho Ceta, Xi Ceta, and Sigma Ceta (Sigma Ceta is apparently also named Ola Three); the names of other three have not been provided. Eta Ceta is the capital planet; the Star Creche is located within its capital city. Mu Ceta connects outwards with Vervain, Rho Ceta connects with Komarr, Xi Ceta connects with Marilac, and Sigma Ceta connects to Vega Station. Cetagandan Society Cetaganda is an unusual society with a two-tiered aristocracy. Haut caste Cetagandans are the products of a several-century long self-conducted genetic engineering experiment to develop the perfect human being. (They believe this process is yet incomplete). The ghem-comrades of Cetaganda are a military caste which carries some engineered genes, but are largely free of the intensive oversight of reproduction which so thoroughly pervades the haut. While outside observers often assume the ghem are really in charge, the ghem are driven to impress their haut masters, largely through military conquest. The ghem population functions as an intermediary between the haut and the lower class by occasionally contributing genetic material to the haut, and sometimes receiving haut women as wives. Having a haut wife or contributing genes to the haut are regarded as highest honors among the ghem. There are subrankings within each of these levels; when Yenaro is promoted to the lowest level of ghem-lords who work for their emperor, he is given tenth rank, sixth degree. There is also a genetically engineered servitor caste, the ba, a genderless group incapable of reproduction that are the product of haut genetic experiments. The ba also generally act as servitors for their masters. They are strictly conditioned and engineered for loyalty. Ba are not a common sight except in the presence of haut women. As the total population of the haut is less than a million, they are a very small proportion of the population and live in lavish luxury. Cetagandan subjects enjoy a per capita tax rate that is approximately half that of a Barrayaran's. Cetagandan history Cetaganda is principally known as a stable multi-planet empire that staged several unsuccessful wars against the planet Barrayar, home to the heroic Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, his father Aral Vorkosigan, and grandfather Piotr Vorkosigan. Shortly after the Time of Isolation ended with rediscovery of Barrayar, the Cetagandans invaded. After a twenty year war, they were repulsed. Several minor wars with Barrayar were later fought over contested wormhole jump points, and the Barrayaran Imperium was part of the Hegen Hub Alliance that repulsed a later Cetagandan invasion of Vervain. The Cetagandan Empire then invaded the world of Marilac, but were repulsed and driven off the planet after less than a decade. Another war nearly happened with Barrayar over a thousand putatively stolen haut fetuses, but the situation was defused by Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan. Notable characters from Cetaganda The haut Lisbet Degtiar Lisbet Degtiar was the chief empress of Cetaganda and keeper of the Star Creche until her death. The haut Rian Degtiar Rian was the acting keeper of the Star Creche after the death of Empress Lisbet. Emperor the haut Fletchir Giaja He was the son of Lisbet Degtiar, created by her specifically to serve as emperor to all of Cetaganda. The haut ''Pel Navarr The haut-woman consort of the planet Eta Ceta, she was the second most powerful woman in the empire. ''ghem-General Dag Benin A ghem-Colonel who worked in Cetagandan Imperial Security during the time of Cetaganda, ''he was promoted to ghem-General soon after and ended up in charge of the organization. Terrence Cee Also known as L-X-10-Terran-C, he was the product of a genetic engineering project on one of the Cetagandan planets. Behind the scenes The Cetagandans are introduced gradually, with the existence of the haut class revealed only in the novel ''Cetaganda. The novels written earliest, The Warrior's Apprentice and Ethan of Athos, feature Cetagandans in the characteristic face paint of the ghem. In the first case, they are mercenaries employed by the young Miles as he invents his alter ego, Admiral Miles Naismith. In the second, a group of Cetagandan agents searching for stolen bio-engineered materials kidnap and interrogate the protagonist Ethan, from planet Athos, who has wandered into the situation while attempting to recover a shipment of human ova supposed to be shipped to his home. The novel Brothers in Arms has Admiral Naismith trying to repair his mercenary fleet's ships while avoiding revenge hits from the Cetagandans for a recent mission against them. He finds himself dealing with a full ghem-Captain, "painted and sworn to the hunt". Using his clone brother as a double, Miles is able to persuade the Cetagandans that Miles Vorkosigan and Admiral Naismith are not the same person, preserving the Vorkosigan identity as a place for him to hide between missions. This marks the end of the ghem appearing as foes. The novel Cetaganda, while taking place early in Miles' career, was written later than the novels above. It takes place somewhat before the events of Ethan of Athos, and thus before Admiral Naismith's flight to escape their wrath. Barrayar and Cetaganda are at peace, and Miles, as Miles Vorkosigan, helps to solve a mystery for the Cetagandan empire, if only because failing to do so would lead to chaos and probable war with Barrayar. The late novel Diplomatic Immunity requires him to rescue a shipment of haut embryos stolen by a Cetagandan renegade, who has arranged for Barrayar to take the blame for the theft and the associated murder of a planetary consort. External links * See also List of Vorkosigan Saga planets Category:Cetaganda